The heavy iron doors of the dungeon groaned on their rusted hinges, signaling the return of Ser Larry. The King's Royal Adviser strutted into the damp hallway, flanked by two armored guards whose footsteps echoed like rhythmic hammer strikes against the stone.
"Well, apologies for being late," Larry drawled, flicking an imaginary speck of dust from his velvet doublet. "Some royal rich business required my attention upstairs. Not that you low rats would understand the weight of such matters." He stopped in front of Hythesion's cell, his lips curling into a predatory grin. "Now, enough talk. Show me the artifact."
Hythesion reached into his pocket with deliberate slowness. He produced a weathered wooden box and clicked it open. Nestled inside was a pendant that seemed to pulse with a faint, ethereal light.
Larry's eyes widened, the greed reflected in his pupils. "Fascinating," he whispered, his voice trembling for a split second before shifting back into a harsh command. "Give it to me!"
Hythesion's hand shook slightly as he extended the box toward the bars—a perfect picture of a man defeated. But just as Larry's gloved fingers were inches from the prize, the silence of the dungeon was shattered.
CLANG!
The violent screech of metal hitting stone jolted everyone. Larry jumped, nearly dropping his composure as all heads whipped toward Geth's cell.
"Oh! Uhmm, sorry—my apologies," Geth stammered, looking down at his sword lying on the floor. "My blade... it slipped. Clumsy of me."
"Pull yourself together, you worthless lizard," Akmenos growled from the adjacent cell, his voice dripping with practiced disdain.
Geth stiffened, his eyes narrowing. "Worthless? Is that what I hear coming from the mouth of a goat?"
"Yeah," Akmenos stepped into the light, his massive frame casting a shadow. "And what are you going to do about it, scale-skin?"
"You know what that makes you?" Geth shot back, his voice rising in a pitch-perfect imitation of a losing temper. "A stupid... drunk... idiot... with—with horns!"
"Oh, that's it!" Akmenos roared, slamming his fist against the bars. "How dare you mock my heritage! If I weren't in this cage, I'd grind your snout into the dirt right now!"
"Oh yeah? Well, if I were out there, I'd—I'd poke you! Repeatedly! With my swords!"
The two continued to bicker, their insults becoming increasingly absurd and loud. The chaos was infectious, filling the narrow corridor with a cacophony of shouting. Ser Larry's face turned a brilliant shade of purple.
"Will somebody shut those two up?!" Larry shrieked, clutching his temples. "I cannot focus! Guards, silence them!"
As the guards rushed toward the brawling prisoners to hammer on their bars and restore order, Larry turned back to Hythesion, his focus frayed and his irritation peaking.
"I'll take this for safekeeping," Larry spat, finally grabbing the box. He gave a mocking laugh. "Still can't believe a puny Silverlake mercenary like you possessed something so precious. It's wasted on you."
With a final, haughty sneer, Larry turned on his heel and marched out, his guards falling in line behind him. The heavy doors slammed shut, and the bolt slid into place.
Silence returned to the dungeon, but it was a heavy, expectant silence.
"Did you get it?" Maitara whispered, leaning against the bars of her cell.
Hythesion didn't answer with words. Instead, he slowly raised his hand. Dangling from his thumb was a delicate, golden bracelet—the Anubis Amulet.
"Piece... of... cake," he smirked.
Geth and Akmenos shared a look of triumph, their "fury" vanishing instantly.
*FLASHBACK 1 hour earlier*
"Maitara, you saw the mark on his arm, correct?" Hythesion had asked, leaning against the cold stone.
"Yes, so?" she had replied, her brow furrowing.
"And then I told you I didn't noticed, because—" Hythesion trailed off, tilting his head with a playful glint in his eyes.
"Because... you were focusing on something else!" Maitara claimed, crossing her arms. "But what... wait. You're talking about his bracelet? The golden one?"
"Brilliant," Hythesion smiled, and for a moment, the gloom of the dungeon seemed to lift. "I knew you'd catch up. That's an Anubis Amulet. It lets the wearer bypass anti-magic zones. If I can get it, I can get us out." He then turned around to think.
"I need a distraction," Hythesion said, "Something loud, something annoying, and something that makes him look away from my hands for exactly three seconds." Then he looked at blth Geth and Akmenos.
"Leave that to me," Geth had replied with a wink.
*FLASHBACK towards the distraction scene*
As the fight between Geth and Akmenos broke out, Ser Larry turned his head to his guards, shouting orders to make them stop. In that exact moment of distraction, Hythesion reached out and smoothly slid the bracelet off Larry's arm. He tucked it into his pocket before Larry ever turned back to finish the deal.
*FLASHBACK ends, back to present*
Hythesion slipped the amulet over his own wrist. He felt the rush of mana returning to his veins, a warm tide breaking through the cold suppression of the stones.
He raised his hand, his eyes glowing with a faint blue hue. He began the incantation, his voice low and melodic.
"Erundeos."
A ripple of translucent energy surged outward from the amulet. It struck the bars of the cells, and the invisible weight that had been pressing down on their spirits evaporated. With a series of mechanical clicks, every cell door in the row swung open at once.
Hythesion stepped out into the hallway, stretching his shoulders. "Now," he said, looking at his crew. "Let's go get that Pendant back!"
As the group began gathering their gear, the air in the dungeon shifted from the heavy dampness of a tomb to the sharp energy of a looming heist. Geth was humming a low, tuneless whistle as he inspected his swords, sliding them into their scabbards with a satisfying shink. Akmenos pulled his heavy leather gloves on, tightening the straps over his knuckles with a grim focus, while Maitara efficiently packed her belongings, her movements precise and quick.
But amidst the sudden flurry of activity, one cell remained still.
Hythesion looked over and saw Ethan. He was still sitting on the edge of his cot, shoulders slumped, staring at the stone floor as if the open cell door didn't even exist. He looked hollowed out, trapped in a prison of his own convictions that the guards' keys couldn't touch.
Hythesion walked over and stepped into the cell, his shadow falling over the younger man.
"Look," Hythesion began, his voice low but firm. "I know what you believe is what you think is right. But that doesn't mean it's good."
Ethan didn't look up, his hands clasped tightly between his knees.
Hythesion glanced back over his shoulder. He saw Geth checking his blade's edge and Akmenos rolling his neck, the sounds of a team preparing for war. He looked back at Ethan, his expression hardening. "We are going to take back that Pendant, and we will deliver it to Morea. We're doing it with or without your help."
Ethan's silence was heavy, but Hythesion didn't wait for a rebuttal. He turned to leave the cell, but stopped at the threshold, his hand lingering on the iron door he was leaving wide open. He stood there for a beat, the cold torchlight catching the sharp angles of his face.
"Oh, and one more thing," Hythesion said, glancing back. "Don't try to stop us."
He turned his head just enough to catch Ethan's gaze, pinning him with a stare that felt like a blade against the throat. The warmth he usually showed Maitara was gone, replaced by the icy ruthlessness of a man who had survived a thousand battles.
"You may take Geth or Akmenos anytime," Hythesion said, his voice dropping to a dangerous, quiet chill. "But don't try to fight me. Because you won't win."
He didn't wait for Ethan to process the threat. He simply walked away, the obsidian bracelet on his wrist reflecting the dim light like a dark omen.
Coming back to the center of the hallway, he adjusted his cloak and looked at his companions. The playfulness of the heist was over; now came the hunt.
"Let's go," Hythesion said, his eyes meeting Maitara's for a brief, grounding second before he led the way toward the stairs. Ethan was the only one left in the cell. His posture didn't change, and he shifted his stare towards his flute on the other side of his cell.
The boots of the four companions skidded to a sharp, synchronized halt as they reached the base of the grand staircase. Hythesion, ever the vanguard, froze mid-stride. Behind him, Maitara, Geth, and Akmenos tensed instinctively, their shadows dancing against the stone walls under the flickering torchlight.
Emerging from the gloom above was a silhouette of shadow that commanded the air around it. As the figure descended into the light, the familiar, polished gleam of high-command armor revealed, it was Glynlie, coming down from the stairs
Steel blades of Geth hissed against scabbards, Akmenos' fists tightened and Maitara began to conjure with the static of gathering mana. But before the first strike could be thrown, Hythesion raised a sharp, open-palmed hand. It was a silent command that cut through the adrenaline of his team. Slowly, weapons were lowered and the glow of spells faded.
Hythesion and Glynlie locked eyes. The silence between them was heavy, layered with their shared history and unspoken grievances.
"You haven't change a bit, you are still as desperate as you used to be, Hyth," Glynlie said, her voice carrying a weary sigh that seemed to echo the weight of her rank.
Hythesion instinctively shifted his weight, taking a cautious step back. He knew better than anyone that the woman before them wasn't just a General Captain—she was a force of nature, once the strongest swordswoman of the Silverlake Mercenaries whose blade had dismantled entire legions single-handedly. He kept his eyes fixed on her, his hand still raised in a "stay" gesture as he leaned back slightly toward his companions.
"I'll fight her to buy you time," he murmured, his voice a low, jagged rasp intended only for Maitara, Geth, and Akmenos. "You three must go. Now."
"What? We can handle her!" Akmenos speaks up as he raised his fists in a fighting stance.
"No."
The word was flat, final, and cold. Hythesion didn't look back, but the sheer gravity in his tone silenced any further protest. The trio felt the shift in the air; this wasn't an argument, it was a survival mandate.
Just as the tension reached a breaking point, Glynlie's expression shifted. The hard line of her mouth softened almost imperceptibly. Without another word, she turned her back to them—an act of immense trust or immense confidence—and walked a few paces further down the hall. She paused, tilting her head in a sharp, beckoning nod toward the darkness she had emerged from.
She wasn't there to stop them; she was there to help them, by following her.
A slow, knowing smirk spread across Hythesion's face, the shadow of a memory passing through his eyes. He exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and glanced back at his bewildered team.
His voice regaining its confidence. "Let's go."